North Yorkshire County Council is the authority for the North Yorkshire area and has been involved with a number of prestigious projects over recent years.
Council services in North Yorkshire include social care, health, transport, education, waste, libraries, archives, registrars and planning.
The council provides a wide range of public services to around 600,000 people living in around 256,600 households in North Yorkshire. The county covers an area of over 800,000 hectares and is predominantly rural. The county has a well-diversified economy with the importance of the financial and business services sector growing every year and the service sector making up the majority of employment.
As a democratically elected body and community leader, the council acts as a champion and spokesperson for North Yorkshire and its people. The council and its councillors represent and promote the interests of North Yorkshire when dealing with regional, national and international affairs.
North Yorkshire County Council is a ‘top-tier’ council meaning they provide important local services across the whole county. They also work with the second-tier district councils who provide different but complementary services in different parts of the county. In this two-tier system North Yorkshire County Council are responsible for local services such as education, social care services and roads, whilst district councils run other services, such as waste collection, local planning, and council housing.
North Yorkshire County Council has formed a strong relationship with Broadacres Housing Association, Age UK North Yorkshire and Hambleton District Council to form Senior Moves Hambleton which aids those over 55 to find new housing.
The council also deals with derelict properties that pose a risk to the public’s safety. Properties that have been empty for a long period of time are often purchased by the council for renovation or demolition.
The council also own seven official traveller sites situated throughout the county all of which are managed on behalf of the County Council. The council own Thirsk, Catterick, Stokesley, Carlton, Burn, Bickerton and Thistle Hill sites in Hambleton, Selby and Harrogate,
The council also takes a keen interest in promoting environmentally friendly practices in order to better the life of local wildlife. An example of this dedication is visible in their three year project to save the endangered Tansy Beetle which is found in one location in the UK; along 45 kilometres of the River Ouse near York. The council and a total of 260 volunteer days worked on the scheme to aid the protection of the creature.
